Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a technology that is used to process images showing surroundings of a vehicle.
Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, systems that combine captured images of surroundings of a vehicle and others and that display images showing the surroundings of the vehicle viewed from a driver seat are known. A user (typically a driver) can see the surroundings of the vehicle by using such a system, even in a cabin of the vehicle.
Recently, there is a known technology that superimposes a cabin image of a cabin viewed from a driver seat on an image showing surroundings of a vehicle and that displays the entire cabin image in a transparent or semi-transparent form and also even an obstacle hidden behind a body of the vehicle in visual contact. The user can see such an image and can recognize an object located in the surroundings of the vehicle, understanding a positional relationship between the vehicle and the surroundings of the vehicle.
However, if the entire cabin image is displayed in the transparent or semi-transparent form, various objects are displayed on the transparent or semi-transparent portion of the cabin. Therefore, the user cannot immediately determine an object requiring a closest attention in an image showing the surroundings. In this case, although an obstacle is displayed in the course of traveling, there has been a possibility that the user may miss the obstacle.